Rail-joint.



PATENTED NOV. 24, 19013.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 20, 1902.

LQ T. STEPHENSON.

n r n f N0 MODEL.

lle/'v 27,6'

Miro Srnrns Patented November 24, 1903.

RILsJOlNT.

0E2PECIFICATJION forming part of Letters Patent No. 744,812, dated November 24, 1903. Application iiled December 20, 1902. Serial No. 135,991. (No model.)

To al whom, t may concern/ Be it known that I, LEVI T. STEPHENsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Triniv dad, in the county of Las Animas and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Rail-Joint, of which the following is a specication.

The invention relates to improvements in rail-joints.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of rail-joints and to provide a simpleand comparatively inexpensive one of great strength' and durability adapted to support the ends of rails and brace the same at opposite sides thereof and capable of enabling a railjoint to be connected securely with the rails by only two bolts and to be constructed not more than a foot in length.

A further object of the invention is to provide a short rail-joint of this character in which the lish-plates may be readily rolled and which will be provided with locking devices adapted to prevent the nuts from accidentally unscrewing and capable also of connecting the fish-plates and of preventing the same from spreading and of relieving the threads of the bolts of strain.

Another object of the invention is to provide fish-plates of this character adapted to engage the crossties to assist in preventing the fish-plates from spreading or slipping, whereby the nut-engaging devices and the connecting-bolts of the fish-plates Will be inaterially relieved of strain.

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointedv oftin the claims hereto appended, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 ais transverse sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one of the fishplates.

Like numerals of reference designate correi varranged at opposite sides of rails 2; but the fish-plates may be constructed of any other suitable material, as will be understood. The fish-plates, which in practice will be constructed about one foot in length, provide a very short coupling for theends of the railsand are connected therewith by two bolts 3 only; but although only two bolts are necessary in the rail-joint four or more may be employed by lengthening the fish-plates to twenty-fou r or more inches, if desired. The fish-plates consist of inwardly-extending horizontal bottom portions or iianges 4 and upwardly-eX- tending angle portions 5, forming the body portions of the `fish-plates and providing opposite inclined braces which fit against the bottom flanges of the rails 2 and beneath the heads thereof, as clearly shown in Figs. l and 2. The upright or upwardly-extending portions of the fish-plates are provided With inclined inner faces and have inwardly-extending approximately horizontal iianges 6 for engaging the upper faces of the bottom flanges of the rails and. to form broad base portions for the fish-plates, which eX tend ou twardbeyond the bottom iianges. The body portions of the fish-plates above the inwardlyextending flanges 6 are spaced from the webs of the rails and are enlarged at their upper edges to provide broad top faces or edges '7 to fit against and support the heads of the rails. The fish-plates are also provided at their upper orfbody portions with vertical outer faces 8 for the reception of the heads 9 of the bolts and for the nuts 10 of the same to prevent twisting or straining the fastening devices when the nuts are tightened. The vertical outer faces, which avoid bending the bolts, maybe of a considerable length and may extend the entire length of the fishplates; but they may be made of a length only sufficient to accommodate the heads and' nuts of the bolts. The inwardly-extending top portions of the Iish-plates and the horizontal anges 6 terminate short of the webs of the rails, whereby when the fastening devices aretightened the rails will be firmly ICO clamped and braced by the fish-plates. The upper edges or faces 7 of the fish-plates and the lower faces 11 of the flanges 6 converge toward the webs of the rails and form tapering engaging portions which cause the {ishplates to become firmly wedged between the heads and bottom flanges of the rails.

The flanges 4, which form the base or bottom of the fish-plates, are connected with the upper portions thereof at points beyond the bottom flanges of the rails to provide spaces to lpermit the fish-plates to be moved inward sufficiently to firmly engage the rails. The horizontal bottom portions or flanges 4, which are spaced apart at their adjacent edges, are

y provided thereat with inner dependinglongitudinal lips 12, which are adapted to embed themselves in the upper faces of cross-ties to prevent the fish-plates from slipping and spreading, and thereby relieve the th reads of the bolts and nut-locking devices hereinafter described of strain. The lips, which extend longitudinally of the rail-joint, are centrally arranged, being disposed directly beneath the webs of the rails, whereby the y weight upon the same will force the lipsinto rfrom slipping laterally ofthe rails.

the cross-tie and operate to prevent the same The fishplates are provided with outwardly-eXtending bottom portions 13, forming continuations of the base or bottom flanges 4 and provided with openings 14 for the reception of spikes for securing the fish-plates and the rails to the cross-ties.

The fish-plates are provided at the lower faces of the base or bottom fianges 4 with transverse grooves 15 for the reception of transversely-disposed connecting or tie bars 16 of nut-engaging devices for preventing the nuts from accidentally rotating and unscrewing when subjected to the vibration incident to the passage of a train. The nut-engaging devices consist of vertical pins or portions 17, extending upward from the connecting or tie bars 16 through vertical apertures 1S of the lower portions of the fish-plates and terminating a short distance from the nuts and the heads of the bolts, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. The upright pins or engaging portions 17 are arranged in the paths of the heads and nuts of the bolts and they are formed integral with the connecting or tie bars 16, and they are.

thereby adapted to operate not only as a nutlook, but also as means for connecting the fish-plates and for preventing the same from spreading, whereby the bolts are relieved of strain. The threads of the bolts are materially relieved of strain by the nut-engaging and bolt-locking devices and also by the lips or Iianges 12, and the upright pins or locking portions 17 are also located beyond the bottom iianges of the rails and do not pierce the same, thereby obviating the necessity of punching the bottom anges for the locking devices. The locking devices are adapted to be applied to the rail-joint after the fishplates have been secured to the rails by the bolts, and they do not interfere with the assembling of the parts. After the fish-plates have been secured to the ends of the rails the latter may be raised suiiciently to permit the nut-locking devices to be introduced in position, and they cannot become accidentally displaced. Vhen itis desired to separate the rails, the locking devices may be readily removed by lifting the railsl suiiiciently to permit the nuts to clear the locking devices.

The transverse bolts pierce the fish-plates and the webs of the rails in the usual manner, and when the lips 12 and the spikes are sufficient to prevent the fish plates from spreading or straining the threads of the bolts vertical locking-pins may be employed without the connecting or tie bar.

The body portions of' the {ish-plates are inclined and extended at the base for the double purpose of providing braces for the rails and for locating the locking devices 17 at points beyond the bottom flanges of the rails to avoid punching the said bottom fianges. Also by arranging the nut-locking devices so that they will connect the fish-plates and by providing depending anchoring lips or iianges the threads of the bolts are relieved of strain, and it is only necessary to employ two bolts in a rail-joint and the fish-plates need not be constructed more than a foot in length. Furthermore, by employing the short joint or coupling the cost of constructing rail-joints is materialiy decreased, and as the rails are iirrnly braced at each side the efliciency and durability of the rail-joints are not impaired.

What I claim is- 1. In a rail-joint, the combination with rails, of fish-plates provided with inwardlyinclined upper portions having converging top and bottom faces to it the head and bottom iianges of' the rails, bolts connecting the fish-plates, and upright locking devices located beyond the rails and extending upward from a point below` the same and arranged in the paths of the heads and nuts of the bolts, substantially as described.

2. A rail-joint comprising opposite fishplates forming inclined braces and provided with tapered portions arranged to be wedged between the head and bottom flanges of the rails, bolts connecting the fish-plates, and locking devices extending upward from points below the rails and located beyond the same, and arranged to engage the heads and nuts of the bolt-s, substantially as described.

3. A rail-joint comprising opposite lishplates, bolts connecting the fish-plates, and locking devices extending upward from points below the rails and located beyond the same and arranged to engage the heads and nuts of the bolts, substantially as described.

4. A rail-joint comprising fish-plates, bolts for connecting the fish-plates, and locking de- IOO IIO

vices connecting the ish-plates and arranged to engage the nuts of the bolts, substantially as described.

5. A rail-joint comprising ish-plates, bolts connecting the saine, and a locking device extending beneath the 'fish-plates and connecring the saine and arranged to engage a bolt, substantially as described.

6. A rail-joint comprising fish-plates, a bolt connecting the same, and a locking device connecting the usb-plates and provided with engaging portions arranged in the paths of the head and nutof the bolt, substantially as described.

7. A rail-joint comprising fish-plates, having apertures located beyond the rails, a bolt, and a locking device composed of upright portions extending through the apertures and arranged to engage the head and nut of the bolt, and a connecting or tie bar located beneath the Vish plates, substantially as described. i

8. A rail-joint comprising shplates provided With inwardly-extending base-fianges having depending lips, said iish-plates being also provided with vertical apertures and having transverse grooves, bolts connecting the fish-plates and locking devices composed of upright engaging portions passing through lthe apertures and located beyond the rails, and tie-bars arranged in the grooves and connecting the upright engaging portions, substantially as described. .-fl

9. In a rail-joint, thegcoinbinatiou With rails, fish-plates and fastening devices passing through the fish-plates and the rails, said fish-plates having inwardly-extending bottom portions provided with transverse grooves, of a device composed of a tie-bar arranged in said grooves and bridging the space between the bottom portions of the fish-plates, and provided at its ends'with upright portions engaging the fish-plates, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as lny own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses. l

LEVI T. STEPI-IENSON.

Witnesses:

E. D. LINDSAY, C. L. BANcRon'r.

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